A Massachusetts woman visiting family in Florida was killed in an unusual accident when an SUV left the roadway and crashed into a residential pool area in Fort Pierce earlier this year.
The incident occurred on February 7. Officers responded to a report of a “vehicle vs. a pedestrian” on Laurel Leaf Lane and found a Jeep Grand Cherokee that had veered off the road and into a backyard pool area.
Police said the vehicle traveled through hedges and fencing before entering the pool enclosure, where it struck 65-year-old Anastasia Fiona Ullman, who had been lying near the pool.
The SUV continued moving after the initial impact, crashing through additional hedges and fencing before slamming into a nearby home, where it came to rest inside a bedroom. Ullman was found trapped underneath the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the 38-year-old driver may have “suffered a medical episode at the time of the crash,” causing her to lose control of the vehicle.
The driver was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was later released. Her identity has not been publicly released, and investigators have not provided details about the
Pool site of crash. Credit www.wpbf.com. https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-suv-crashes-into-pool-area-in-fort-pierce-killing-woman/70305039 nature of the suspected medical event.
Neighbors described the crash as shocking.
“It was very horrible and also a freak accident, like lightning striking,” neighbor Trigg Routh said. “It was awful and surreal.” Routh told local reporters that the impact was powerful enough to shake nearby homes.
He said he ran toward the scene to help and noticed the driver appeared unresponsive. “I'm screaming on the phone to the 911 operator thinking if I scream louder, they'll get an ambulance here faster,” Routh said. “But it was awful.”
Ullman, who was known to friends and family as Stacey, lived in Hanover, Massachusetts, and had traveled to Florida to help care for her mother.
According to her obituary, Ullman was active in her community and spent time working as a nanny for several families. “Stacey was a beloved mother, wife, sister and friend to many.”
Fort Pierce police said the crash remains under investigation and have asked anyone with information to contact the department.
The accident stunned residents in the quiet neighborhood.
“Life's not fair,” Routh said after the accident. “This was a horrible, freak accident.”
